FOR THE RECORD;TRUE NORTH PROFITS JUMP 43% IN 3RD QTR.; AUTONATION PARENT TO ACQUIRE ALAMO;BURNETT MEDIA CHIEF HOBBS TO RETIRE;NEW YORK CITY BLOCKED FROM CARRYING FOX CHANNEL;UNILEVER HEEDS FTC ON PROMISE AD CLAIMS;CMP MEDIA LAUNCHES BRANDING CAMPAIGN;BOZELL BAGS BEST OF SHOW AT DETROIT'S CADDY AWARDS;MACARENA WILL STEP INTO FRAGRANCE MARKET;NO IMMEDIATE MARKETING IMPACT TO BT-MCI MERGER

Published on November 11, 1996.

[chicago-nov. 7] True North Communications' net income hit $6 million in the third quarter, soaring 43% from a year ago. Revenue jumped 15.7% to $125.8 million. While revenue growth largely came from new business won in 1995 and '96, including the consolidation of S.C. Johnson & Son's global account, earnings growth came from improvement in operating margin from 5.6% to 8.3%. For the first nine months of '96, net income more than doubled to $11.4 million on 11.2% higher revenue of $350.2 million.

[fort lauderdale, fla.-nov. 7] Republic Industries will acquire privately held Alamo Rent-A-Car in a $625 million transaction. Aside from providing Republic, which businessman Wayne Huizenga started as a waste company, entry into rental cars, the goal is to take cars coming out of Alamo's rental fleet and sell them through Republic's AutoNation USA and ValuStop used-car retailing divisions.

[chicago-nov. 6] Leo Burnett Co.'s Richard Hobbs said he will retire at yearend as exec VP-worldwide media director, wrapping up 34 years with the agency. Succeeding him will be Jack Klues, currently director-U.S. media services. Robert Brennan will move into the U.S. directorship, from director-international media services, to be replaced by Jeannie Euch, worldwide media director on Procter & Gamble Co.

[new york-nov. 6] A U.S. District judge blocked New York from carrying the Fox News Channel on its cable TV channels. The city had acted after Time Warner, which owns New York's largest cable system, refused to carry the Fox channel. The city said it acted to prevent loss of jobs if the new Fox channel was crippled by being shut out of New York. Judge Denise Cote, granting a temporary injunction, said the city's action violated the First Amendment.

[washington-nov. 7] The Federal Trade Commission announced a consent decree with Unilever U.S. over a campaign for Promise margarine. The FTC said the ads "implied without adequate supporting evidence that eating Promise . . . helps reduce the risk of heart disease." Unilever agreed not to use the claims for any of its products in the future, but a spokesman said the Promise campaign hadn't run in years. The FTC said the ads ran at least once in late 1994. The campaign from McCann-Erickson Worldwide, New York, urged consumers to "Get heart smart." "The evidence just doesn't support the absolute, unqualified healthy-heart claim we found in the Promise ads because of the high fat levels in the products," said Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection.

[manhasset, n.y.-nov. 7] CMP Media on Nov. 11 launches an estimated $1 million brand campaign to position the tech publisher as the single source to reach those who make, sell and buy computers. Most of the spending in the yearlong effort will go for ads in ad trade publications, supplemented by outdoor and ads at the Comdex/Fall and other computer shows. This is the biggest corporate campaign in CMP's 25-year history, said VP-Corporate Communications Barbara Kerbel. Stein, Killpatrick & Rogan, New York, handles.

[detroit-nov. 8] Bozell, Southfield, Mich., for the sixth consecutive year won Best of Show at the Detroit ad community's 22nd annual Caddy awards show. Bozell won top honors for a Chrysler Corp. Eagle campaign featuring actor Greg Kinnear. Bozell also snared five gold awards, the most for any agency. Campbell-Ewald, Warren, took three golds.

[barcelona-nov. 5] Perfumeria Gal will launch in the U.S. and Japan a new women's fragrance called Macarena, following the international success of the dance of the same name and the song from the group Los del Rio.

[london-nov. 4] British Telecommunications' $22 billion acquisition of MCI Communications Corp. should have no immediate impact on their marketing setups. Both brand names will survive in their respective markets, with the merged company to be called Concert Global Communications. Although a 15-man management team has been announced, a person in charge of marketing has not been named. BT's main agencies are Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and Butterfield Day. MCI uses Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG, New York.